Semester
Summer
Date of Graduation
2026
Document Type
Problem/Project Report
Degree Type
DNP
College
School of Nursing
Department
Not Listed
Committee Chair
Aaron Ostrowski
Committee Member
Kristen Nelson
Committee Member
Candy Mahle
Committee Member
Pavithra Ellison
Abstract
Background: Pediatric patients at WVU Medicine Children’s (WVU-CH) are emerging slowly from anesthetics during diagnostic gastrointestinal procedures which delays discharge from the post-anesthesia care unit. The cumulative effect is an increased length of hospital stay and the associated increases in costs. This project explores a novel method to reduce the amount of medication pediatric patients receive by using virtual reality goggles as a nonpharmacologic intervention to reduce preprocedural anxiety.
Purpose: This quality improvement project seeks to reduce time spent in PACU for children undergoing IV induction GI procedures by using preoperative virtual reality (VR) headsets during IV placement as a non-pharmacologic anxiolytic
Intervention: Children undergoing IV induction GI procedures at WVU-CH VR were given VR headsets to wear during IV cannulation in the preoperative period. The intervention aimed to reduce the frequency of IV midazolam use to decrease PACU length of stay.
Methods: The project was conducted in the perioperative environment at the Children’s Hospital. Kotter’s change model was utilized for project implementation, supplemented by the IHI PDSA model. The study assessed the impact of preoperative VR on PACU length of stay through comparative analysis with retrospective data in which VR was not utilized preoperatively.
Results: Post-intervention analysis showed a significant decrease in PACU times in children who wore VR headsets. IV midazolam use also decreased. Phase II time increased. However, the implementation sample size consisted of only nine patients, and perioperative nurses reported dissatisfaction with the intervention.
Conclusion: This intervention decreased PACU times and frequency of IV midazolam use in the preoperative setting, however, the small sample size, limitations of the VR technology, and nursing staff dissatisfaction limited the project’s feasibility and sustainability.
Recommended Citation
Bangs, Kaylee Bahret, "A Quality Improvement Initiative to Decrease the Length of Stay in the Post-Anesthesia Care Unit for Children Undergoing IV Anesthetic Inductions for Gastrointestinal Procedures" (2026). Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD). 13376.
https://researchrepository.wvu.edu/etd/13376